


I Need You Series #2: Mending of a Broken Heart

by RonRos47



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 12:36:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: "That's the kind of faith that runs in our family" and it's that kind of faith that will see Emma through as she struggles to uncover the mystery that surrounds Neal's loss. And as she comes head to head with the one who took him from her.





	I Need You Series #2: Mending of a Broken Heart

Published: 05-07-13, Updated: 05-30-13

*****

"So Operation Praying Mantis is back on," Henry said with a new found sense of buoyancy.

Emma, her parents, and Regina, after deciding to go after Tamara and Greg had continued to talk for the next few minutes.

They turned to see Henry standing on the stairs with his book in hand.

Emma stood up and went toward him. When was she ever gonna stop being surprised when he snuck up on her like that? Probably never she thought.

"I thought you were upstairs," she said to the boy.

"I was but it's a small apartment and I hear everything."

The kid had a point.

"I'm sorry," said Regina, "What's Operation Praying Mantis?"

"That's right," said Henry, "You don't know." Henry looked up at Emma unsure if he could tell his other mom or not.

"It's up to you Henry," said Emma.

"I guess it's okay," he said. "It does affect all of us." He turned to Regina. "Operation Praying Mantis is our mission to keep Storybrooke safe and keep it a secret which basically means keeping an eye on Tamara."

"And Greg now too," said Regina.

"Yeah."

Henry thought over for a moment and then looked at Emma, "Although I think we need a sub mission."

"What sub mission?" asked Emma.

"A new mission to get dad back and to get the two of you back together," he said nonchalantly as if Neal wasn't dead at all but just missing and as if Neal and Emma had been together all along. "I'm thinking of either calling it Operation SwanThief or Operation SwanFire since your last name is Swan and dad's name has the word 'Fire' in it. Maybe SwanThief should just be referred to your lives in this world. SwanFire can be related to dad's other life and since he did go to another world it works better."

"Woah Henry, slow down," said Emma. "There's not going to be a new mission okay. I know you want to believe Neal is alive but-,"

"He is! You should know that more than anyone."

"Why is that?"

"Because you two belong together," said Henry. "Just like Mary Margaret and David. When my mom poisoned grams with the apple gramps knew what had happened to her, he felt it. And when the two of you were trapped in the Enchanted Forest gramps knew that grandma was still alive because he could feel it."

"Henry I just don't know if it works that way with me and Neal."

"It does," Henry persisted. "You and dad found each other the first time. You're both from the Enchanted Forest. Do you really think that was a coincidence?"  
Emma shook her head and smiled despite her tears, "You're starting to sound like your father," she said thinking back to that time in Manhattan when Emma had asked Neal if he thought them meeting was coincidence.

At the time Emma did want to believe that that was all it was, just coincidence and nothing more. Ever since Neal had been back she had tried to convince herself as much too but she couldn't, not when there was too much surrounding them: she the prophesized savior and he the son of the Dark One. Neal had been the reason the curse was created in the first place and she had been the only one who could break it. It may not have been in Gold's plan to get them together but maybe by forces greater than them as Neal had said.

"You know I'm right," said Henry.

Emma looked up at her parents. They could see in her eyes that she was conceding to her son. She returned her attention to Henry.

"You're too smart for your own good you know that?" Henry smiled and she sighed. "Let's say you are right and Neal is alive."

"Which he is," said Henry.

"We can't expect to find him."

Regina took a step forward, "Maybe we can." Emma looked at Regina as did the rest of her family, "If Henry is right and I rarely like to admit it," she said giving him a look which quickly turned into a small smile, "Then like your parents you and Neal are linked."

"We don't even know which world he went to," said Emma.

"Maybe not but here's the thing about true love miss Swan, something you should know if you read your parents story: true love always finds each other. You two fell in love the first time, you found him later in Manhattan. Finding him now shouldn't be so difficult if you embrace it which by the pain you've been through shows that you have. Whatever world Neal is in, that's the world you'll be taken to."

"How we don't even have any way of finding him."

"We don't," said Regina, "but-,"

Mary Margaret turned to Emma, "Tamara and Greg do. They still have a few beans left."

For the first time during their conversation Emma's eyes began to light up. "So if we can get to them and get those beans then we can find our way to Neal." Emma turned to Regina and crossed her arms, "Why would you help us like this?"

"Because despite our differences Miss Swan we all have one thing in common here and that's Henry and if what he wants is you and his father together then the least I can do is honor that after all that I've done." She sighed, "I can see now that there is no way of having my son to myself the way it used to be so maybe we could try to work together."

Emma simply nodded and that was all it took for her and Regina to reach some form of understanding.

*****

The small creature circled the man that was lying unconscious on the ground.

"Meeko," said the young fair skinned girl, "Get away from him!"

The tiny raccoon did as his friend asked climbing a nearby rock to get a better view. Pocahontas looked to the sky where the man had fallen.

"This again," Mulan said coming up behind her.

Pocahontas turned to Mulan. "You've seen this before?"

Pocahontas had joined forces with Mulan, Aurora, and Philip a couple months back, Philip having been rescued several weeks after Snow and Emma's departure.  
Pocahontas had been hiking through the woods when she stumbled upon them. They had been lost though Mulan wouldn't admit it. Mulan was an excellent navigator but she was navigating in parts of the forest that were unknown to her. Pocahontas on the other hand knew all there was about these woods.

"Once," said Aurora. "Do you think he's from Storybrooke," she asked Mulan.

Mulan just shook her head. Pocahontas went over and squatted near the man. She turned him over. His clothes certainly were different, something she had never seen before. His face was slightly rugged with a beard. The man moaned.

Pocahontas examined him and saw some tearing in his clothing. She touched the spot and the man yelled out in pain but his eyes remained closed. When she brought her hand back it was red.

"Is that blood," Aurora asked in fear.

"I've seen this kind of injury before," said Pocahontas.

"What kind is it," asked Philip as he came to the other side to take a better look. "I've seen things similar to it but nothing like this. Such precision on the round marking."

"A gunshot wound," replied Pocahontas.

"Well we have to get him out of here," said Aurora.

"No," said Pocahontas.

"Why not," asked Mulan.

"If we move him then the bullet will move too. It's better if he just stays still."

"So what we just let the man die?" said Mulan.

"Of course not," replied Pocahontas. "I know what to do. We'll set up camp here," she said standing.

"Where are you going?" Aurora asked.

"There are herbs in these woods that will help. In the mean time, try to stop as much of his bleeding as you can. I won't be long."

"I'll go with you," said Philip.

Aurora nodded and took Pocahontas' place and did as she had asked. She took a piece of fabric from the bag and began pressing on the injury.

"Will you take care of him while I set up camp," Mulan asked.

Aurora nodded to her.

"I don't see why I can't come with you," Henry said as his moms and grandparents stood near the open door of the apartment. Ruby and Granny were there as well.

"Tamara and Greg are dangerous, Henry," said Emma. She placed her hands on his shoulders and squatted down a bit to where his eyes met hers. "I all ready lost your dad Henry, I can't lose you too. I'll feel better knowing your safe and out of harm's way and I know Neal would back me up on that. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you."

Emma smiled, "Then listen to me Henry. Please don't do anything. No wild adventures this time. Please."

Henry nodded, "Okay I promise." Emma looked at him. She knew her son and she wasn't quite convinced. "I mean it, I promise."

"He won't leave my sight," Ruby added.

Emma looked up and nodded at Ruby and then returned her attention to Henry.

"I love you," she said to him as she embraced her son.

"I love you too," Henry replied. "Good luck."

*****

The canopy had been set up and Neal was lying in the same place he had been earlier. Pocahontas had since removed the bullet. It was a straight shot with no fragments. The process was by no means easy. A stick wrapped with cloth had been placed in Neal's mouth to prevent him from biting on his tongue or anything else as he screamed while Pocahontas had done the procedure. With thin torn threads and a sharp piece of rock that she had fashioned into a needle she had stitched up Neal's wound. Again he had the stick in place.

"What is that," Aurora asked as Pocahontas sat grinding some herbs on a rock with another stone.

"Liverwort," Pocahontas replied.

Once the poultice was ready Pocahontas placed it over Neal's incision. "Good for wounds, stops bleeding," she said. With another piece of fabric, this one much bigger she wrapped it around Neal like a bandage and then taped it with sap from a nearby tree.

"Will he be okay," asked Aurora.

"I've done all I can for him," said Pocahontas. "The rest is up to him and the Creator. We should take turns keeping watch."

"I'll take first shift," said Mulan.

Pocahontas nodded and went to go find a place to rest her head.

*****

Come early morning Neal was thrashing about. Mulan did her best to hold him down.

"Woah take it easy, you're okay," she said to him.

Neal slowed down and his body relaxed. He could feel some pain on his side from his gun shot and he looked down and then he tried to orient himself. He saw three women surrounding him. If this was heaven he didn't want to be here, he wanted Emma.

Mulan helped Neal into a sitting position leaning his back against a log.

"Where am I?" Neal asked.

"You're in the Enchanted Forest," Mulan replied. "You were badly injured so we helped you out."

Neal looked again at his injury, "So that's what that bad smell was," he said. "Thank you."

"Who are you," asked Philip.

"Neal," he replied.

"I'm Philip, this is Aurora, Mulan, and Pocahontas."

Neal just nodded at them.

Pocahontas came over with a wooden cup, "Here," she said, "Drink."

Neal wanted to ask what it was she was giving him but given her demeanor and look he decided to just comply. He coughed on the tea.

"Ugh what is that," he finally asked.

"Stinging Nettle," said Pocahontas, "Good for wound healing."

"You know Emma," Aurora asked him.

Neal shook his head.

Mulan spoke up, "You were calling out her name throughout the night and even as you woke up just now. How do you know her?"

Neal looked from Aurora to Mulan. Instead of giving them an answer he asked, "How do you know her?"

"She came to our land a few months ago," said Mulan, "her and her mother Snow."

Neal nodded, "Henry told me about that."

"You know Henry too," asked Aurora. "Who exactly are you?"

"Emma and I were…are… I'm Henry's father. Emma and I are… it's complicated."

"She never mentioned you," said Aurora.

"We weren't exactly on the best of terms," Neal said as he moved to get comfortable. Wincing as he did so. "It doesn't matter now, thank you for what you've done but I have to get back to Emma and my son," he said trying to stand.

He was still too weak and Mulan and Pocahontas helped him back down.

"You're not going anywhere," said Pocahontas. "You need to rest."

"We'll get you back to your family," said Mulan, "I promise."

"Why would you do that?"

Aurora smiled, "Emma is our friend." She turned to Philip, "And if anyone knows the value of true love, we do."

Philip smiled and looked at Neal, "We'll get you back with your girl I promise."

Pocahontas lowered Neal down. "Right now you need to rest. You're no good to anyone if you're hurt."

Neal did as he was told and closed his eyes. As he did all he could see were flashes of green and Emma's face as she did everything she could to hold onto him and that smile, the one she gave him after he reciprocated his love for her.

It wouldn't have mattered if he was awake or sleeping. No longer was he going to be dreaming about his father letting him go in the pit now all he could dream about was Emma and their moment together in the warehouse as he held onto her before letting go.

*****

The all too familiar door chimed. Lacy turned around and gave the group a look of disgust.

"Can't a guy get some privacy in his own shop," Gold asked.

"Leave," Regina said to Lacey. "This doesn't concern you."

"On the contrary," said Gold, "Whatever you have to say you can say in front her."

"Gold," said Emma.

"Not to worry Miss Swan, I told her everything."

 

David took a step forward. "What do you mean everything?"

"Relax," said Lacey. "I know all about his magic. What like he could hide that from me forever."

"This still doesn't concern you," said Regina.

Gold put up his right pointer finger, "Either you tell me what's going on or feel free to leave. After all, this is my establishment."

"It's about your son," said Mary Margaret.

"What about Bae," Gold said with deep concern in his voice.

Everyone turned to Emma so she took a deep breath and looked directly at Gold. "He's gone."

"So he finally decided to leave Storybrooke after all did he?"

Gold's mind started going to Henry. Now with his son out of the way it might be easier to get closer to his grandson in order to subdue the threat to his undoing.  
"Not in the way you think," Emma accused. "He would never leave Henry like that."

"Well he didn't stick around the first time did he dearie?"

Emma took a step toward Gold. "You know nothing about it. Neal didn't know I was pregnant."

David and Mary Margaret looked at each other. They didn't know that part to Emma's past.

Emma shook her head. "That doesn't even matter anymore what matters is Neal. Tamara attempted to kill him. She shot him."

"What?"

Emma continued as if Gold hadn't said a word, "And in that attempt she opened up a portal with one of the beans which Neal got sucked into." She forced herself to stay in control. She would not look weak, not in front of Gold.

"And yet you didn't go with him, curious," said Gold.

Emma took another step forward hating all the accusations Gold was throwing her way. "I made a promise to Neal that Henry wouldn't grow up the way we did. So you got an accusation by all means but you damn well better have a way to back it up!"

Gold smiled. "I was right, my boy was still carrying a torch for you and you do want a second chance with him."

"Henry seems to think his father's alive," said Regina.

Gold moved around to his counter and began some pointless cleaning with a rag. "Given that Baelfire was shot and then went down the rabbit hole, so to speak, I highly doubt it. Best the boy just accept his father's fate."

"We can't do that!" Emma said. "We have to get to Tamara and Greg, they're the ones behind this. They're the ones who held Regina and tortured her. We came to you for help."

Gold's head snapped up. "My son is dead Miss Swan. You should just accept that."

Emma thought it over for a moment. Even though earlier she had gone on this mission for Henry's sake, believing in him but not in the situation itself the more steps she took and the more she talked about Neal the more it started to feel like him being alive was real. He had been injured yes. He had slipped through a portal yes but what were the chances of him making it out okay. Emma knew realistically that the odds of such a thing were astronomical but the she did live in a world that didn't follow the guidelines when it came down to being a realist.

Emma placed her hands on the counter. "I won't. This was a waste of time," she said. "We'll have to do this on our own."

The others made their way out and Emma stood at the doorway and turned to Gold.

"You know I thought after all the trouble you went through to get your son back you'd at least try to be there for him but from what I've seen you've just been avoiding him since after we saved your life. Guess he doesn't mean as much to you as I thought."

*****

"I've rested enough," Neal said to his newfound group of friends.

A day had passed since he'd been found.

"We should get going if we're going to find a portal back to Storybrooke," he said.

"And what makes you think there are any to be found," Aurora asked. "Portals are rare I this land. They're not as easy to come by as they used to be."

"She's right," said Mulan. "It was hard enough to find one to send Emma and Snow back."

"I'll find a way," Neal answered. "I always do."

Neal began walking away into the woods leaving the others behind.

"So what do we do," Aurora asked when Neal was slightly out of sight and it was just the four of them.

"We can't just leave him alone," said Philip. "He doesn't know this world like we do."

"We've done our job," said Mulan. "He's better. We should let him go."

"Mulan!" Aurora said her name disapprovingly.

Mulan looked at her. "Need I remind you the trouble we last found ourselves in when we helped strangers from Storybrooke? Cora stole your heart because of them."

Aurora placed a hand to her chest and Philip wrapped an arm around her.

"You got it back for me," Aurora said trying to make it come off like no big deal but failing.

"Either way," said Mulan, "Why risk our lives when we don't have to?"

"We risk our lives every day just by being out here," Aurora shot back. "At least there are better odds if we stick together. Like Philip said, Neal doesn't know the land like we do."

Pocahontas was the first to sigh. "Meeko, come." The little creature climbed onto her back. "Neal, wait," she called out and followed.

 

*****

By the time she caught up he was fifty yards ahead of the others.

Neal turned to his right where Pocahontas and her tiny friend walked beside him.

"Want your bandages back or something," he teased.

"Funny but no," she said to him. "You shouldn't be out here alone."

"I'll be all right," Neal replied.

"Doubtful," Mulan said from behind followed by Aurora and Philip. "You don't know these woods the way we do.

Neal continued walking forward. "You'd be surprised by what I know."

And that was the end of their conversation. Neal had seen the looks on the faces of his friends but he wasn't ready to expand on exactly how much he knew.

*****

David and Mary Margaret were searching upstairs in the warehouse. They had entered the area where Emma had fought Tamara. For a moment they stopped to look at the hole in the ground and then looked at each other seeing for the first time the remnants of chaos that had caused their daughter's broken heart. Emma had been adamant that they check that level.

It was bad enough that the events had not been able to leave her memory. All she could do was push them aside to do her job as best she could but revisiting the site where she lost Neal was something she was not ready to do.

Downstairs Regina hated being back at the fish factory. The equipment had been destroyed but the table where she had been tortured was still there.

"Anything," Emma asked her parents when they rejoined them in the basement.

"Looks like they cleared out in a hurry," said David.

"There was nothing upstairs," Mary Margaret replied.

Emma knew that wasn't true. Everything was up there: Neal saving her, Emma making that silent vow to look after Henry. It was the place where Emma had confessed she needed him. For years Emma had never allowed herself to need anyone but on that day when she stole Neal's stolen car she realized how much she had been wrong. Neal was the first person she had ever needed and even now after over a decade she still did.

She wished for so much. She wished she had told Neal how she truly felt while they took their walk on the beach. He had all but admitted to her how guilty he was and how he could never forgive himself for leaving or for attempting to find her. That was more than she could have asked for. At the time Emma had told Neal she didn't want to hear it but afterwards she was glad she did. In that moment all of the denial she had on like an ice cold sheath melted away and all that was left was the truth, truth that she loved him and had never stopped as hard as she had tried to push it away.

Emma's thoughts took her back to their final moments over the pit.

"Please don't let go. I need you!" And then after waiting for what felt like a brief second of eternity, she said the words she had long feared but no longer did as they had been engraved on her heart the whole time.

"I love you," she said to him.

A second had passed when Neal replied, "I love you too."

And for a moment a smile lit up her face and time as instant as it was he was go.

Mary Margaret saw the look in her daughter's eyes, water starting to fill them.

"Emma," she said sympathetically rubbing her daughters left arm.

Emma tensed and blinked away the tears.

"I'm fine," she said regaining her focus. "We've looked everywhere for them," she said to the group.

"You don't think they could have crossed the town line do you or used the portal," Mary Margaret asked.

"There is one other place they could be," said Regina.

Emma and her parents looked at her.

*****

"This is a waste of time," Tamara said impatiently as Greg was placing his father's remains in a coffin he had shipped over a day ago.

"Hey," Greg snapped, "You knew this was part of our plan. The only reason I joined them was to find my father, the rest is just that extra bag of candy a kid can't reach. You want to make yourself useful go to the well and get the process started."

Tamara took a step closer to Greg and pulled out the black diamond.

"You really think it will work?" she asked him.

Greg laughed, "After all the time we've put on this now you're worried?"

Tamara laughed with him, "Of course not."

As the two stared into each other's eyes over the skeletal corpse a shot rang out and blasted the hand that held the diamond. Blood splattered in several directions. Tamara yelled out in pain and the couple looked up to see who it was that attacked them.

*****

"You're not going anywhere," Emma said holding her gun on Tamara. David held his gun on Greg. "That was for Neal. Next shot goes straight into your heart and trust me I won't miss."

Regina waved her hand and the diamond disappeared in a puff of purple smoke and returned in Regina's.

David nodded, "Glad to see you got your powers back."

"No!" Greg and Tamara both said in unison.

"Sorry to spoil your plans," Regina said to them, "but we won't let you destroy this town."

"Yeah," said Greg, "We'll see about that."

Greg reached behind his pocket and reached for a gun of his own and began to fire. Regina looked at Emma. She didn't need to tell the woman what to do. Emma placed a hand on Regina's arm and together they formed a force field around their group which the bullet's ricocheted off.

"You have magic," Tamara said in shock.

Emma smiled, "Surprise."

Greg could sense Tamara's frustration.

"Stick to the plan," he said to her.

"Screw the plan," Tamara replied. "Emma is mine." She looked at the blonde, "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Why didn't you just die with Baelfire?" she asked as she made her charge. She didn't care that her hand was a bloody mess all she cared about was the coming fight.

*****

Emma made her charge as well. "Get Mendel and find the beans!" she yelled to them as she holstered her gun.

She wanted this to be as fair a fight as possible and since Tamara was unarmed it made no sense to go into the fight with her weapon.

"You're not the first person to try to kill me," Emma answered Tamara.

Tamara went in with first a right hook to Emma's face which Emma blocked and then countered with a right leg kick to the other woman's stomach. Tamara's body arched forward from the blow but it didn't knock her completely. She reorganized and began a series of arm movements which Emma blocked.

Whoever this woman was, Emma thoughts, she clearly had fight training.

Tamara landed several kicks to Emma's gut and the second her legs were up from the wind being knocked out of her Tamara charged sending Emma to the ground from a body slam. With Tamara on top of her Emma thought back to some of the UFC fights she had seen in movies. Emma was struggling little bit as Tamara sent a blow to her left cheek. With her right elbow Emma sent it as hard as she could into Tamara's rib cage. Then with her left fist she let it go to Tamara's right eye. The woman closed them wincing slightly in pain. This allowed Emma to knee the woman in her stomach slightly below the naval and right in the center of her pelvic bone making Tamara get off her.

The two women got to their feet.

As Tamara came down with her right hand in her next attack Emma saw an opportunity. She jabbed her right fist into Tamara's right hand sending a wave of pain. Tamara's scream was louder than before and again Emma attacked the wound.

Tamara backed up and took a moment. She was losing a lot of blood from her hand. She decided to change up her tactic. With her good hand she reached from behind and pulled out a set of two blades, one a partially serrated Black Raven model DOH101 and the other an Interceptor 911 model DOH113 that was serrated on both the upper and lower areas with a splinter hilt. She placed one of the blades in her bad hand trying to forget about the pain.

Emma knew these were high military grade knives.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Emma tried to reason with her.

"I'm afraid it does," Tamara shot back. "Magic is unnatural. It doesn't belong in this world and neither do you."

Tamara made her charge.

"Don't!" Emma said to her.

And as Tamara kept inching forward Emma reached in her back pocket and pulled out her gun. She began to fire sending several rounds into the woman's heart until her clip was empty.

Emma lowered her weapon and let the fatigue wave over her. She walked over to the woman and knelt down feeling for a pulse. She wasn't about ready to have Tamara rise from the dead on her. As she leaned over the body all she could think about was Neal and what Tamara had put him through: pretending to be in love with him just so she could get access to the town and then hurting him again without a second thought. Tamara was a cold blooded killer simple as that.

From a short distance Emma could hear the footsteps. She reacted quickly and held up her gun and turned. She was lowered her weapon relieved to see that it was her parents and Regina. David had a slumped body over his shoulder.

"Is he-," said Emma.

"Dead," David said placing Greg's body next to Tamara's.

"And Tamara," asked Mary Margaret.

Emma just shook her head as she stood.

"Now what," she asked the group.

With a wave of her hand Regina's spell book appeared. She went over to the bodies and cast the spell which made people forget their memories. Unlike the one she had used on Henry this would erase all of their memories of Storybrooke and it would erase Greg's memories of the time he spent here as a child and it would also be more permanent. Even though the bodies were dead she was not about to take any chances.

Regina stood, "They won't remember a thing not even in whatever hell they go to."

Emma nodded her thanks at her and then turned to her parents. "Did you get them?"

David reached in his pocket and pulled out a small vile that contained two of the three beans.

Mary Margaret took Emma's hand. "Are you sure you want to do this, Emma?"

"I have to," she said without a second thought, "but I'm not doing it without Henry."

"Then I'm going with you," said Regina.

"Regina I don't-," Emma began.

"I don't care what you want Miss Swan," she shot back. "I'm not about to send my son to another land without me."

"Fine," said Emma knowing it was pointless to argue.

"Looks like this is going to be a family adventure then," said Mary Margaret. Emma turned to her. "What, you didn't think we'd let you and Henry go alone did you?" David smiled and nodded at his daughter.

"There's just one thing I have to do," said Regina. She pulled out the black diamond. "I have to destroy this. Once this is destroyed nothing can get rid of this town."

Emma nodded, "Meet us at the apartment when you're done."

Regina looked at her, "You trust me to do it alone?"

"Well the way I figure," said Emma, "We're the ones with the last beans so I'm pretty sure you couldn't destroy the town and escape."

"You know I could easily take them form you right," said Regina.

"But you won't," Emma replied. "You know how much Neal means to Henry so you wouldn't risk taking that away from him unless you want him to distance himself further." She turned to her parents. "Let's go get Henry."

*****

Once the Tamara and Greg situation was handled Emma and her parents had gone to the apartment, Regina showing up shortly after. They had, in simple terms, explained to Henry that their enemies were no longer an issue and to prove it David showed Henry the beans.

The kid wasted no time in getting ready to go, having a bag packed long before they got home.

"We packed some things for you too," Ruby said handing a bag each to Emma, Mary Margaret, and Regina.

Ruby took a step toward Emma. "I don't know Neal well but I hope you find him," she said going to hug her niece because for all intent and purposes that's who Emma was to her.

Emma embraced her aunt and thanked her.

They all turned at the sound of the door opening.

"Well you're not leaving without me," Gold said to them, Belle by his side.

"I thought you didn't care about your son," Emma shot at him.

Gold took a step forward. "It wasn't my son that I feared Miss Swan." He glanced at Henry for a quick second and then back at Emma. "You see a long time ago I was told of a prophecy and since then I've been conflicted."

"What kind of prophecy," asked Regina.

"It doesn't matter right now," Gold replied. "The point is I've had to make a choice and I've made it and if what my grandson wants is to have his father back then I'll be happy to help. I've spent too long at odds with my own boy to let some prophecy interfere with that regardless of what it's said to be."

"Then what are we waiting for," Mary Margaret asked, "Let's go."

"Wait," said Gold, pulling out a vial and a small piece of paper. "Our guests most likely weren't alone. Sooner or later the people they worked for will find out what happened to them." He handed the items to Ruby against his better judgment. He would have rather handed them to Belle but since she still didn't have her memories back he couldn't fully trust her. "These will help to bring Storybrooke to its former ways, back to when the world didn't know it existed. Magic will still exist but here only. It cannot leave and no one will be able to enter," he said to Ruby. "There is just one thing I ask of you."

"Name it," said Ruby.

"Find a way to restore Belle's memories. I would but I'm out of time. My son needs his family."

Ruby nodded despite her previous issues with Gold. "You have my word."

Gold smiled and nodded.

"There's just one more thing," said Emma. "Now that we have the beans how are we supposed to find him?"

Gold smiled, "That's your job Miss Swan."

Gold elaborated a bit more and then they said their goodbyes.

*****

The family of six stood in the woods. Emma pulled out the yellow dream catcher that she had found in Neal's room at Granny's.

"I brought it like you asked," she said to Gold, "Something that connected the two of us."

Gold smiled, "And here you said it was nothing."

Emma just shrugged, "Yeah well…So how is this supposed to work?"

Gold walked over to Emma and took her hand, pricking her finger on a tiny needle. A drop of blood seeped to the center of the dream catcher.  
"Now close your eyes and focus on him," said Gold.

She looked at him skeptically, "That easy?"

Gold nodded. Emma took a look at her son and he smiled giving her some strength she hadn't known she needed until now and did as Gold said.

Everything came spiraling in her mind at first: Neal being gunned down by Tamara, them slipping into the green pit and Emma holding onto a piece of plywood and Neal for dear life not wanting to let go and then Neal letting go of her hand as he fell into the void but the images didn't stop there this time.

Emma could feel herself inside Neal, as if her mind was connected to his and she was inside his body. She could feel his strong body go limp from the weakness of the bullet and what seemed like an endless fall. It was pitched black but the spiraling had stopped so she must have landed but where? There were voices in the distant, muffled at first and then growing closer.

She could feel a small breath on her but she couldn't make out what it was, her eyes, Neal's eyes, were still closed.

"Meeko," said the young fair skinned girl, "Get away from him!"

Emma thought for a moment, 'Meeko,' hadn't that been the name of a dog or a bird in some Disney movie she watched?

"This again,"- 

Emma recognized the voice as Mulan's but she couldn't be quite sure especially when she heard a voice that was unfamiliar.

Pocahontas turned to Mulan. "You've seen this before?"

And then Emma did hear a third voice: Aurora.

"Once," said Aurora. "Do you think he's from Storybrooke," she asked Mulan.

Emma opened her eyes only this time they weren't Neal's. She saw her family looking at her, waiting. She placed the dream catcher in her pack and then smiled particularly at Henry.

"You were right kid," she simply said to him.

"He's alive!" said Henry. "I knew it, I knew it!"

Emma spoke more to herself in a barely audible whisper. "They found him. They're taking care of him."

"Who?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Mulan and Aurora," she said as she returned a smile that Mary Margaret was giving her, both thankful that their friends were with Neal. "There was someone else too but I'm not sure who it was."

"Guess we're going to find out," Mary Margaret replied.

The family of six all gathered round and held hands. Emma took hold of Henry's left hand and in her right was one of the beans. Gold had made it clear at the apartment that they should hold onto each other so as to not get separated.

Emma took a glance at her parents, Henry, Gold and Regina and her parents nodded to her. Taking a deep breath, Emma tossed the bean in front of them creating the same green portal that she had seen recently. As one they jumped, letting the portal swirl them to where true love waited.

*****

[To Be Concluded in Part 3]


End file.
